Mirage, Las Vegas

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After the devastating show where Roy was attacked by his own pet Tiger, the show of Siegfried and Roy was totally stopped. It was unfortunate that their show of illusions which popularized Mirage Hotel has to be discontinued. Roy was paralyzed and he was in critical condition for a long time after he was attacked by the tiger. He lost a lot of blood during the show.

The Siegfried and Roy show was very famous and it brought millions of dollars to the owners of Mirage Hotel. As a remembrance the owner put up a statue of Siegfried and Roy which you can see at the front of the Mirage Hotel.

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The famous Volcano at the Mirage Hotel/Casino is bigger and better than ever. After a year's closure for renovation [which cost $25 million], it has returned and erupts every 15 minutes until midnight. [See Photograph #1] It's set on a small lagoon with 3,000 lights that are computerized to simulate the flow of lava. The volcano is 50 feet high and there is an eruption of 40 more feet into the air! The designers say that the very best place to see it is right in front of the Mirage on the Strip. He says, "Nothing beats being right there-up close-where you can feel the heat of the flames and hear the pulsating soundtrack." Now, this wonderful show is actually FREE.In addition, the Mirage boasts the beautiful grounds [See Photo #3].

Mirage also has a free Aquarium with 20,000 gallons of saltwater and is located behind the reception desk. The acrylic that they used in the aquarium is 4 inches thick.

In the back of the Mirage is Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat [Fee of !5.00 for adults and $10.00 for Children]. This habitat houses leopards, alpacas, and lions (separate areas). It also houses their famous white tigers as well as panthers. The dolphin Habitat has a below ground level viewing deck to watch the dolphins swim under water.

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This use to be a Free exhibit, but I guess after the loss of Siegfried & Roy Royal White Tiger show, they have incorporated this into the Secret Gardens. So now it cost to see them:(

Hours of Operation*:
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily

Last admission is 3:30 pm.

Ticket sales begin at one hour prior to opening.

* Hours of operation are subject to change due to special events or inclement weather. For the most up to date hours of operation please call 702-791-7188.
Admission:
Adults:$15.00
Children 4 - 12: $10.00
Children 3 and under:
no charge when accompanied
by an adult

Siegfried & Roy's Royal White Tigers is available for viewing for purchase in the Secret Gardens. Siegfried & Roy have dedicated their lives to preserving these rare animals, and their efforts have helped save them from total extinction. After securing the offspring of a perfectly matched pair of these beautiful animals bequested to this country in 1958 by the Maharaja of Rewa, Siegfried & Roy established their own Royal White Tiger breeding line.” – Mirage Hotel

On the way into the Mirage, you can see the White Tigers roaming through their habitat. Across from the habitat is the Mirage logo store in case you absolutely have to have some sort of tiger souvenir.

Update - well, I'll leave this tip up for posterity and history - the White Tigers are long gone since the "incident" I notice some of these early tips are pretty slim on details - I'll have to update some of them as time permits!

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One of the niftiest things to see for free is the Mirage volcano after dark. It runs every 15 minutes or so. And if you have the chills from the desert, this will definitely warm you up!

Updated 2009: The volcano show has been updated and now only runs on the hour. The new show has more pyrotechnics, but I don't enjoy it as much. However, it's still a free show, and you're likely to meet some interesting people as you wait, because the railing outside the volcano gets pretty packed!

When I went to Vegas for my 21st birthday I did more of the touristy things and saw the cheaper attractions. One of these would be the White Tiger Habitat at the Mirage. This attraction, not to be confused with more expensive Dolphin Habitat, was free and smaller. Packed in with many other people stretching your necks to find the white tigers laying about was a bit exciting once spotted. But, when the animals are just laying there it quickly becomes a not-so-fun attraction. However, after seeing such cuddly and cute animals from behind a glass plate try not to spend much in the gift shop.

If you have kids they know just how to lure them in with the dolphin and white tiger stuffed animals and accesories. My mom was pulled in and we ended up buying me (of all people) a pink giant stuffed dolphin....Yea, that was a fun plane ride home. :)

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My aunt, dad and I went into the Mirage to get some gambling done. We had toured The Venetian but wanted some action! We started our journey at the blackjack table but left after 5 hands when the dealer hit 21 or 20 in the first 5 hands.

We wanted some drinks but didn't want to sit at a table so we ended up at the bar where the video poker sits as well. They key: if you play the maximum bet ($1) then you get free drinks. At first, I was doing not very well but then I ended up winning about $40...doubled my money. It was nice.

After my dad and aunt had a few drinks and lost their $20 or two we ended up looking for the casino and getting in some craps. The craps table was hot and we ended up playing for a few hours. (Boy, time flies when you're having fun!) One woman at the table got a serious roll and it was good times for all. The dealers were friendly but not quite as outgoing as the Bally's dealers. Definitely #2 friendliness, though.

This is more of a "second hand" tip... My parents went to see the Terry Fator show at the Mirage. As you may (or may not) know, Terry Fator is the ventriloquist who won the first season of "America's Got Talent". The tickets were given to them as a gift and they were ambivalent about going. However...

My mother is now his biggest fan! She talks all the time about how funny the show is, how amazing that he really sounds like the person he is impersonating, how you never see his mouth move, how talented he is... My mother enjoys herself when she goes out, but I have NEVER seen her so enthusiastic about a show!